Helpful Tip: Washing Berries

Ever feel like berries just don't last that long when you bring them home, especially those just-picked from the farm? You're not alone. Berries have little germies on them that cause mold to form at an alarming rate (here's a more sciencey explanation).

To extend the fridge life of your berries, here's a simple trick. As soon as you bring them home, fill a clean sink basin (or a big bowl, if you must) with several inches of cool to lukewarm water. Add a half-cup of distilled white vinegar to the water. Then add in your berries. Gently swish them around with your hands and let them sit for a few minutes. Strain the berries and dry them (for firm berries like blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries, you can send them through a salad spinner. More delicate berries, like currants and raspberries, should be left on a towel to air dry). Place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

Or freeze them.

The vinegar disinfects the berries naturally and keeps bacteria from eating the soft flesh of the berries too quickly.

Sangria Sauce

Oof. It's too hot to cook or bake.

Well, that is to say it was too hot. Thankfully the heatwave that plagued my little corner of the world has passed, and more temperature weather is here.

I recently picked up a copy of She Cooks, She Scores: The Steamy Stories Behind the Recipes by Chicago-based Chef Jennifer F. Stoker. Besides offering a sometimes-hilarious peek into one woman's romantic interludes and the meals inspired by them, there were a lot of handy recipes perfect for, "I'm hungry but it's too hot/humid to cook" moments.

One recipe in particular that grabbed me was Grilled Fruit Over Angel Food Cake with Sangria Sauce. Sounds like the perfect antidote to steamy sun-drenched days. The recipe is below. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at some of Chef Stoker's other dishes, like Asparagus Guacamole (wut?), Sweet Potato and Sausage Gratin with Savory Maple Glaze, Watermelon and Jicama Coleslaw (oh twist my arm why don'tcha - she serves it with fried coconut shrimp), and Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

If it's too humid or hot to make angel food cake, don't feel too guilty about buying one from a local bakery.

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Grilled Fruit Over Angel Food Cake with Sangria Sauce
From She Cooks, She Scores by Jennifer F. Stoker
Makes Six Servings

INGREDIENTS
1 pineapple, top and bottom removed, skin removed, cut lengthwise into strips, 1/2-inch wide.
2 peaches, halved and pitted
1 mango, peeled, cut lengthwise, 1/2-inch wide
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped kiwi
1/2 cup blueberries
1 angel food cake, whole

Sangia Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup peach schnapps
1/2 cup champagne or white wine*
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 cup grape juice
1 lime, squeezed

METHOD
Preheat grill to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, add olive oil and squeeze lemon into oil. Mix together until incorporated. Brush mango, pineapple, and peaches with lemon oil and set aside.

To make sangria sauce: heat water and sugar in a medium saucepan on medium-high. Dissolve sugar and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium simmer until sauce reduces to 1 cup. Cool completely; sauce will thicken as it cools.

Grill or saute fruit until golden brown on all sides. Let cool. Cut up in bite-size pieces and put in bowl along with rest of fruit. Mix together.

Cut angel food cake into individual pieces. Sprinkle fruit mixture over each piece of angel food cake and drizzle sangria sauce over top.

*I used Thirsty Owl's Snow Owl wine, just like I would for regular ol' Sangria. Because the sauce gets cooked, I wouldn't open a new bottle of sparkling wine for this, but a split/mini bottle would do the trick!

Angel Food Cake
(Deanna's Recipe!)
Makes one cake

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups egg whites (from about 10-12 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups sifted Confectioners sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar

METHOD
In an extra-large mixing bowl, allow the egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Whisk together Confectioners sugar and flour in a separate bowl, being sure to remove all lumps.

Adjust the baking rack to the lowest position in the oven, and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add in granulated sugar, about two tablespoons at a time, beating until soft peaks form.

Add about one-fourth of the flour mixture over beaten egg whites, fold in gently. Repeat, folding in remaining flour mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Gently cut through batter with a butter knife to remove any large air pockets.

Bake on the lowest rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert the cake and allow to cook through inverted pan. Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and remove from the pan completely. Allow to cook and dust with Confectioners sugar.

Dessert Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, right? RIGHT?! I certainly do. I also love sweets. So, put "pizza" and "sweet" together and you get the perfect meal: Dessert Pizza. I posted the how-to on this delicious dish over at From Scratch Club. Check it out if you get the chance. Nectarines and black raspberries not your thing? Here are some other Dessert Pizza suggestions:

- Raspberry jam, mixed berries, drizzle of chocolate

- White chocolate, strawberries, chopped pecans

- Lemon curd, candied citrus peel, mint leaves

Enjoy, and for more of my From Scratch Club posts, click here.

Freezing Strawberries

As marvelous and rewarding as berry picking is, it always brings a bit of melancholy. Fresh berries only last for so long, and once they are gone, they are gone. We wait an entire year to eat freshly harvested berries again.

Don't despair. If you haven't perserved a bit of summer by making jam, you can always freeze fresh berries to enjoy year-round. It's a simple process, but you'll need to make sure you have plenty of space in your freezer (so get ready to compost the box of waffles and frozen dinners that hit their expiration dates a year ago.

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Freezing Strawberries

1. Wash berries and remove hulls. Cut in half, or if preferred, leave whole.

2. Place berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet (or any sort of flat surface like a tray or baking dish - just be sure that it is safe for the freezer).

3. Place berries in freezer and allow to freeze for at least three hours or overnight. Once berries are frozen, remove from cookie sheet and place in freezer bags or containers. Berries will last in freezer for at least a year (provided you don't eat them before then!). This method works for any type of berry (I heard from an acquaintance that if you freeze blueberries or elderberries, then vacuum-seal them, they have the taste and texture of fresh berries!).

Strawberry-Basil Popsicles

The strawberry marathon continues! This time around it is Strawberry-Basil Popsicles, a super-easy treat that is just perfect for the heat and humidity coming our way in the Northeast.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at my Aunt Laura's house. Her kids were about my age (my cousin Logan is just a month older than me), and since my aunt worked as a secretary for the school, she had summer's off. My first introduction to homemade popsicles came from those summers, when Aunt Laura would take Kool-Aid or whatever other fruity drink was around and pour it into an ice cube tray. She would place plastic wrap over the top, then stick toothpicks into each cube segment and freeze the whole thing to make little mini popsicles. The weight of the popsicle was often too much for a flimsy little toothpick, but it was no matter to us, we were happy to have a chilly treat for those hazy Upstate New York summers. Making these popsicles reminded me of Aunt Laura and, like any good food should, evoked memories of other times.

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Strawberry-Basil Popsicles
Makes 6-8

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
10-12 basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
4 cups strawberries

1. Combine the sugar, water, and basil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.

2. Remove sugar mixture from heat and allow to cool. Be sure to muddle the basil leaves with a wooden spoon to release oils. This is essentially a basil simple syrup recipe. Use more or less basil to taste. Remove basil leaves after about 10 minutes.

3. In a blender, puree strawberries. Add basil simple syrup and blend again. For a smoother consistency, strain mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Pour mixture into popsicle mold or into biodegradable disposable cups. Place popsicle stick or spoon into the center of each popsicle and freeze for three hours or overnight.

4. To unmold popsicles, simply run the mold or cups under hot water for a few seconds. Best enjoyed barefoot and/or in a hammock.

PS - In case you couldn't tell, this recipe is baby-approved.

Strawberry Salad

Salad greens from my mother's garden; berries picked by me

Two words indicative of summer are strawberry and salad. Put them together, and experience a flavor profile that is reminiscent of running barefoot through sprinklers, making s'mores, getting sun freckles on one's shoulders, and backyard camping in rickety tents. This Strawberry Salad is a quick, easy meal that can be whipped up for a tasty lunch or healthy dinner. Enjoy!

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Strawberry Salad with Candied Walnuts

Serves Two

5 cups (for me, about 4 big handfuls) salad greens, washed and dried

1/2 cup red onion, sliced

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled*

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1/2 cup walnuts, shelled and halved

1 egg white

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven broiler (or set oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit). Combine egg white, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and paprika. Add nuts and mix with fork. Place nuts on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

2. Meanwhile, combine the salad greens, red onion, cheese and strawberries. Once walnuts are done, sprinkle on top of salad. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season as desired with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

*Bleu cheese would also be delicious!

Strawberry Jam

While May is National Strawberry Month, the juicy, red fruits don't hit their prime in the Northeast until June. Strawberries were at peak ripeness last week, so Edith and I went picking.



One of the best ways to ensure you capture a bit of summer is to make Strawberry Jam. The house smelled heavenly all weekend long with the aroma of jam stewing on the stove (something I look forward to all year long). Many people think jam is an overly-complex process. Truth is, you can't really screw it up. If it turns out too thin and runny, it becomes ice cream topping. If too thick, spread it into a parchment-lined 9"x13" pan, cut into 1-inch squares, sprinkle with sugar, and you have jelly candies. Jam does take a little time, and needs to be stirred often to prevent burning (but I just try to catch-up on emails or get through the stack of magazines in the kitchen while the jam is cooking). Here is a simple, all-natural jam recipe I hope you will try.

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Strawberry Jam
Makes About 5 Pints*

8 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
5 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored and grated apples (like Granny Smith - about 3 apples)**
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (or any kind of quality orange liqueur or Triple Sec)***
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1. In a large pot, combine all ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat until a boil forms. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently, until bubbles become larger and slower (about 45 minutes to an hour). Jam should reduce to a little more than half to be considered done, or read at 220 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.

3. Remove from heat and immediately ladle into hot jars or other containers. The jam can be canned (either in a hot-water bath or pressure canner, just follow manufacturer's recommendations) or refrigerated for about two weeks.

*This recipe can easily by halved to 4 cups strawberries, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup apples, 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, and 1 teaspoon salt.

**This recipe uses no commercial pectin. Apples are a natural source of pectin and help to thicken the jam.

***Orange or lemon juice is a fine alternative.

Stay tuned for more strawberry recipes (and be warned... June is National Dairy Month, so look out for recipes utilizing my favorite food group!).

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce - undoubtedly my favorite part of Thanksgiving. I remember being younger and hating cranberry sauce, but as I've matured, I've discovered a true love for it. As you're prepping for tomorrow's big meal, take a little time to try the "Official Silly Goose Farm" cranberry sauce recipe.

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Cranberry Sauce
Makes Approx. 1 Pint/2 Cups

1 bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup orange juice (1-2 oranges, depending on "juiciness")
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Strong dash of ground cloves
Strong dash of cardamom powder

1. Wash cranberries and remove any leaves or stems. Place in a large pot.

2. Add remaining ingredients to pot. Cook over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes, or until the cranberries have popped and softened, and the sauce has become thick and ruby-red. Serve warm or chilled.

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Yes, Virginia, it really is that easy. I tend to quadruple the recipe and make a couple of large batches each year. I process it (ie: can it) to have at the ready. It's great served along pork chops, added to rice pilaf for a little kick, or mixed with mayonnaise for turkey sandwiches.

Even if the rest of your Thanksgiving is from a box, try making this simple, quick, from-scratch recipe to dress up your holiday feast. Everyone will be impressed with your efforts! Have a wonderful Turkey Day, my friends!

Blueberry Buckle

My parents were at the farm over the weekend, and whenever they come I always make sure to feed them. The main reason they come to visit is, of course, to play with their grandkids, but I usually have some project I need them to help me with when they are here. Making sure my folks are well-fed is a small price to pay for their help. Plus, I don't want them to start thinking I only keep them around for the cheap labor (just kidding, Mom and Dad!).

So, this weekend, I made a meal of yummy vegetable pasta salad, grilled corn-on-the-cob with a little lime butter, and London Broil marinated and seasoned in the Montreal style and cooked to medium over slow-burning charcoal. But to me, no meal is complete without something sweet at the end. I needed to whip up dessert quick, and also had fresh, plump, richly indigo blueberries on hand.

I decided to make this delicious Blueberry Buckle. I found the recipe in the Ginsberg's Cookbook that celebrates the company's 100th anniversary (Ginsberg's Foods was one of my clients, and I assisted them in the planning and publicity of their 100th anniversary celebration. Hi Nancy and David!!). The recipe is so easy, and the results are divine (this was my first buckle, and I think it turned out great).

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Dot's Blueberry Buckle

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries*

Crumb Topping (recipe follows)

Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl blend sugar and butter until creamy; then add egg. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to egg mixture.** Fold in blueberries, batter will be thick. Pour batter into round greased cake pan. Equally distribute crumb topping over cake batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. This recipe doubles easily.

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Crumb Topping

1/2 cup sugar***

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon****

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

Using a pastry cutter, blend ingredients.

*I think you could use frozen blueberries for this, but allow them to thaw and drain before use. Too much liquid will make this buckle heavy and soggy

**When alternating wet and dry ingredients, be sure to always incorporate dry ingredients last. This ensures the smoothest batter.

***I used brown sugar in this recipe, just because I could :-)

****I also doubled the cinnamon, again, just because.

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I think this is best served warm with a dollop (or two... or four) of homemade sweetened whipped cream. I add a little vanilla to mine. This buckle is very reminiscent of a light and airy blueberry muffin, but the crumb topping sweetens it to dessert level.

Ever had a "buckle" before? Do you prefer simple Americana desserts like this, or sweets that are more complex and indulgent?